Laine scores again as Jets down Devils

03/08/2018 22:00

Patrik Laine's first-period goal Thursday night extended a pair of streaks for
the Winnipeg Jets teenager and gave the Jets a lead they never relinquished in
a 3-2 victory over the New Jersey Devils at Prudential Center.

Laine has scored at least one goal in each of the last four games, all of
which the Jets have won, and has a point in 10 straight games, a stretch in
which Winnipeg has gone 8-2-0.

The 19-year-old Laine, who turns 20 on Apr. 19, has 75 goals in two NHL
seasons, tied with Sidney Crosby for the fifth-most ever by a player prior to
his 20th birthday. Laine is just one goal behind Wayne Gretzky and Brian
Bellows.

Laine extended his streaks on the same night Devils star Taylor Hall's point
streak was snapped at 26 consecutive appearances.

Joel Armia and Nikolaj Ehlers also scored for the Jets. Goalie Connor
Hellebuyck recorded 41 saves.

Laine scored his eighth goal in four games 4:12 into the first, when he tucked
home the rebound after Ehlers' pass into the crease ticked off the skate of
Jets center Paul Stastny.

An injury to Devils center Travis Zajac created a shift change that led to the
Jets' second goal at 13:26 of the second. Zajac, who struggled off the ice
after he was leveled by Andrew Copp, made it to the bench moments before
Armia's slap shot from just in front of the blue line sailed under the glove
of Schneider.

Palmieri cut the gap in half by taking a multi-zone pass from Hischier and
scoring on a breakaway with 3:19 left in the period.

Ehlers extended the lead to 3-1 by putting back the rebound of Dustin
Byfuglien's shot 9:55 into the third. The Devils pulled back within one just
72 seconds later, when Hischier finished a flurry by getting a stick on the
rebound of a shot by Jesper Bratt.